Freshman Marcus Fizer is so intent on putting aside that he is the first McDonald’s All American in Iowa State history, he did not even bring his McDonald’s jersey to school.

“Everything I got, the championship rings, all of those things are still at home,” Fizer said at men’s basketball media day. “I’m looking forward to doing new things here at Iowa State.”

Fizer is not the only newcomer looking forward to doing new things for the Cyclone squad this season. He is among 10 new faces on the team, all whom spoke of high expectations at media day.

“We want to be in the tournament in March,” freshman guard Paris Corner said. “But I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work from all of us.”

Corner, a native of Beaumont, Texas, is one of three freshman competing for the starting point guard job held last season by Jacie Holloway.

Lamont Sides, Harlingen, Texas, and Lee Love, New Orleans, La., will vie with Corner for the position.

Love said he is excited about the way his teammates have responded to the competition.

“I can see that everybody wants to win and play hard,” he said. “I want to see what’s going to happen [to this team] in four years.”

Although the Cyclones began practice Monday, they have been playing pick-up games together since the start of the year.

“The thing I was looking forward to the most was the pick-up games — to get to know the players and what kind of styles they play,” freshman forward Martin Rancik said. “The games are really intense, really competitive, everyone wants to play as a freshman.”

Fizer added that the pick-up games have been a learning experience for him.

“When we started playing,” he said. “I started learning the things that they do offensively and defensively, and I have used that to my advantage.”

Rancik and Fizer are fighting with each other and six others for the starting power forward job Kenny Pratt worked last season.

Returners, sophomores Stevie Johnson and Paul Shirley, and junior Klay Edwards, as well as freshman Chris Ridens, Mountain Grove, Mo., Andy Stensrud, Lake Mills, and Walter Moore, Chesterfield, Mo., are also competing for the position.

The crop of potential forwards said they have been working out together since as early as summer.

“We get the feel of each other and learn to play with each other,” Moore said about working out with his teammates. “We’re gaining chemistry right now and it’s going to be fun down the road.”

Moore, like Rancik and Stensrud, will practice at the center position along with junior Tony Rampton, who was voted the team’s most improved player last season.

Stensrud, a four-time all-state performer in basketball, is also a tight end on the Cyclone football team.

He will not join his basketball teammates until after the football season is complete.

While eight of the 10 new players on this season’s team are freshmen, Coach Tim Floyd said he is expecting junior college transfers Delvin Washington, Port Artur, Texas, and Jerry Curry, Jackson, Tenn., to take on leadership roles.

Curry, who is expected fill the shoes of Cyclone shooter Dedric Willoughby, led the country with 188 three-pointers last season at Jacksonville College in Texas. Curry averaged 41.6 percent from beyond the arc and made 12 three-pointers in one game.

Washington, who sat out the majority of his sophomore season with a knee injury, earned first-team all-conference honors his freshman year at Butler County Community College in Kansas.

Averaging 22 points a game his senior season of high school, Washington said he is enthusiastic about competing with Curry.

“I like competition,” Washington said. “I strive for it; that’s what brings out the best in you. This team — we love to compete, our pick-up games, they get real intense, but that’s good for our team.”

“It will be real interesting to see how this team comes together,” Washington added.

Cyclone fans can get a taste of this season’s squad at the annual Cyclone Shootout to be held Saturday at Hilton Coliseum.

An autograph session will begin at 4 p.m., with player introductions scheduled for 5:10.

Also part of the pre-season appetizer will be a three-point contest, and a dunk exhibition before the scrimmage, which will start at 6 p.m.